"Artificial intelligence" based crowd sensing system for elevator car assignment

Abstract

An elevator control system employing a micro-processor-based group controller (FIG. 2), which communicates with the cars (3, 4) of the system to determine the conditions of the cars, and responds to hall calls registered at a plurality of landings in the building serviced by the cars under control of the group controller, assigning hall calls to cars based on the summation for each car, relative to each call, a weighted summation of a plurality of system response factors, some indicative, and some not, of conditions of the car irrespective of the call being assigned, assigning varying "bonuses" and "penalties" to them in the weighted summation. "Artificial intelligence" techniques are used to predict traffic levels and any crowd build up at various floors to better assign one or more cars to the "crowd" predicted floors, either parking them there, if they were empty, or more appropriately assigning car(s) to the hall calls. Traffic levels at various floors are predicted by collecting passengers and car stop counts in real time and using real time and historic prediction for the traffic levels, with single exponential smoothing and/or linear exponential smoothing. Predicted passenger arrival counts are used to predict any crowd at fifteen second intervals at floors where significant traffic is predicted. Crowd prediction is then adjusted for any hall call stops made and the number of passengers picked up by the cars. The crowd dynamics are matched to car assignment, with one or more cars being sent to crowded floor(s).

Having thus described at least one exemplary embodiment of the invention, that which is new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is claimed below: 
     
       1. In an elevator dispatching system, a method of controlling the number of elevator cars to be sent to a predetermined floor landing, said method comprising the steps of: obtaining historical information of passenger arrival rates at a predetermined floor, said historical covering at least a predetermined time interval;   determining, based on said historical information, a passenger arrival rate at the predetermined floor for said predetermined time interval;   predicting, based on said determined passenger arrival rate, a crowd size at the predetermined floor for said predetermined time interval;   comparing said predicted crowd size with a predetermined crowd size threshold;   generating a crowd signal when said predicted crowd size exceeds said predetermined crowd size threshold; and   controlling the number of elevator cars to be sent to the predetermined floor landing based on said generated crowd signal.   
     
     
       2. In an elevator dispatching system, the method of claim 1, said method further comprising the steps of: assigning at least two elevator cars to the predetermined floor landing when a hall call is registered at the predetermined floor landing, if said crowd signal has been generated.   
     
     
       3. In an elevator dispatching system, the method of claim 1, said method further comprising the step of: assigning one elevator car to the predetermined floor landing to wait for passengers, if said crowd signal has been generated, even through no hall call has been registered at the predetermined floor landing.   
     
     
       4. In an elevator dispatching system, the method of claim 1, said method further comprising the steps of: assigning a first elevator car to the predetermined floor landing when a hall call is registered at the predetermined floor landing, if said crowd signal has been generated;   allowing at least a portion of awaiting passengers at the predetermined floor landing to board said first elevator;   determining whether said first elevator had enough capacity to handle all of the awaiting passengers at the predetermined floor landing; and   assigning a second elevator to the predetermined floor landing if it is determined that said first elevator did not have enough capacity to handle all of the awaiting passengers at the predetermined floor landing.   
     
     
       5. In an elevator dispatching system, the method of claim 4 wherein it is determined that said first elevator did have enough capacity if said first elevator was not at its maximum capacity when it departed from the predetermined floor. 
     
     
       6. In an elevator dispatching system, the method of claim 1, said method further comprising the steps of: if said crowd signal has been generated for the predetermined floor landing, then assigning at least two elevator cars to the predetermined floor landing when a hall call is registered at the predetermined floor landing;   otherwise, assigning one elevator car to the predetermined floor landing when a hall call is registered at the predetermined floor landing.   
     
     
       7. An elevator dispatching system to control the number of elevator cars to be sent to a predetermined floor landing, said system comprising: means for measuring and storing information regarding passenger traffic at the predetermined floor during at least a predetermined time interval;   means for determining, based on said historical information, a passenger arrival rate at the predetermined floor for said predetermined time interval;   means for predicting, based on said determined passenger arrival rate, a crowd size at the predetermined floor for said predetermined time interval;   means for comparing said predicted crowd size with a predetermined crowd size threshold;   means for generating a crowd signal when said predicted crowd size exceeds said predetermined crowd size threshold; and   means for assigning the number of elevator cars to be sent to the predetermined floor landing based on said generated crowd signal.   
     
     
       8. The elevator dispatching system of claim 7, said system further comprising: means for assigning at least two elevator cars to the predetermined floor landing when a hall call is registered at the predetermined floor landing, if said crowd signal has been generated.   
     
     
       9. The elevator dispatching system of claim 7, said system further comprising: means for assigning one elevator car to the predetermined floor landing to wait for passengers, if said crowd signal has been generated, even though no hall call has been registered at the predetermined floor landing.   
     
     
       10. The elevator dispatching system of claim 7, said system further comprising: means for assigning a first elevator car to the predetermined floor landing when a hall call is registered at the predetermined floor landing, if said crowd signal has been generated;   means for determining whether said first elevator has enough capacity to handle all of the awaiting passengers at the predetermined floor landing; and   means for assigning a second elevator to the predetermined floor landing if it is determined that said first elevator does not have enough capacity to handle all of the awaiting passengers at the predetermined floor landing.   
     
     
       11. The elevator dispatching system of claim 7, said system further comprising: means for assigning at least two elevator cars to the predetermined floor landing when a hall call is registered at the predetermined floor landing, if said crowd signal has been generated for the predetermined floor landing; and   means for assigning one elevator car to the predetermined floor landing when a hall call is registered at the predetermined floor landing, if said crowd signal has not been generated for the predetermined floor landing.